How do analog clocks/watches tick at exactly a second?
In: 6
Real mechanical clocks use a wound spring (usually, could be other forms of stored energy) to store energy, slowly releasing it by turning gears that have precise numbers of teeth based on the ratios between seconds, minutes, and hours. The “ticks” are regulated by the oscillation of a specific mass, like a swinging pendulum, or wheel that repeatedly turns back and forth. The mass is “tuned” based on the mass/energy of the whole system to switch directions at precise intervals. A big pendulum clock might “tick” once per second or more, while a watch can “tick” several times per second, with the gearing adjusted accordingly.
I just saw a great write up with interactive animations that broke it all down really well. It was posted on Reddit somewhere, but I forget where. Hopefully someone posts it here for you.
Latest Answers